Open-Ear Headphone

Abstract

An open-ear headphone includes an acoustic module, a battery housing, and a body coupled to the acoustic module. The acoustic module includes a portion that is configured to sit in a cavum conchae of an outer ear of a user, an acoustic transducer, and a first sound-emitting opening that is configured to emit sound produced by the acoustic transducer. The battery housing is configured to be located behind the outer ear and contains a battery power source. The body is coupled to the acoustic module and includes a first portion that is configured to pass over an outer side of at least one of an anti-helix and a helix and a lobule of the outer ear, and a second portion comprising the battery housing.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An open-ear headphone, comprising:
 an acoustic module comprising: a portion that is configured to sit in a cavum conchae of an outer ear of a user, an acoustic transducer, and a first sound-emitting opening that is configured to emit sound produced by the acoustic transducer;   a battery housing configured to be located behind the outer ear and containing a battery power source; and   a connecting portion disposed between the battery housing and the acoustic module,   wherein the connecting portion is configured to pass over an outer edge of a user's outer ear at a location of one or more of a helix, an anti-helix, a lobule, and anti-tragus.   
     
     
         2 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is complaint and enables displacement of the battery housing relative to the acoustic module. 
     
     
         3 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 2 , wherein the connecting portion is formed of an elastomer. 
     
     
         4 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 3 , wherein the elastomer has a hardness of 80 shore A. 
     
     
         5 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 1 , further comprising a body coupled to the acoustic module and comprising a first portion configured to pass over an outer side of at least one of an anti-helix and a helix and a lobule of the outer ear, the connecting portion, and a second portion comprising the battery housing. 
     
     
         6 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5 , wherein the body is generally “L”-shaped. 
     
     
         7 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 6 , the acoustic module and body together are generally “C”-shaped. 
     
     
         8 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5 , wherein the first portion of the body is arranged at about a right angle to the acoustic module and the connecting portion is arranged at about a right angle to the first portion of the body. 
     
     
         9 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5 , wherein the connecting portion is disposed between the first portion of the body and the battery housing. 
     
     
         10 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5 , wherein the acoustic module and the body are parts of a unitary molded plastic housing. 
     
     
         11 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5  further comprising
 a pair of microphones in the first portion of the body, wherein the microphones are located in opposed sides of the first portion such that one microphone is configured to be farther from the user's mouth than is the other microphone. 
 
     
     
         12 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5  wherein at least one of the antihelix, the helix, and a lobule of the ear is configured to be located between the first portion and second portion of the body. 
     
     
         13 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5  wherein the body is generally “L”-shaped. 
     
     
         14 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5  wherein the acoustic module and body together are generally “C”-shaped. 
     
     
         15 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 5  wherein a center of gravity of the open-ear headphone is between the acoustic module and the second portion of the body. 
     
     
         16 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 15  wherein the center of gravity of the open-ear headphone is configured to be located in the outer ear. 
     
     
         17 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 1  wherein the first sound-emitting opening of the acoustic module is configured to be located in the cavum conchae and such that it is spaced from and proximate an ear canal opening of the user's ear. 
     
     
         18 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 1  wherein the acoustic module is configured such that a weight of the open-ear headphone hangs from and is suspended from the cavum conchae. 
     
     
         19 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 1  wherein the acoustic module has a symmetry that enables use on either ear of a user. 
     
     
         20 . The open-ear headphone of  claim 1  wherein the acoustic module is configured to be specific to a designated ear of the user.